A Regional Scale Temporal Analysis of the Net Migration Patterns of Elderly Persons Over Time

Abstract

New England counties are grouped into categories using graphic displays of five decades of net migration rates for young and old elderly persons. Linear functions composed of social, economic, and geographic variables discriminate among the categories, yielding the following associations: positive rate counties are long-standing retirement and recreation areas; negative rate counties have large, old, declining cities; turnaround counties are nonmetropolitan counties with recently developed retirement/recreation facilities; miscellaneous counties include suburban counties with a temporary peak in net migration rates. The counties' patterns are relatively similar for young-old and old-old persons over the five decades.

Retirement Return Migration from Sweden

“…Serow et al, 1986;Serow, 1987;Fournier et al, 1988aFournier et al, , 1988b, and from northern states into the "sunbelt" of the United States or from northern Europe to Mediterranean countries; interview studies show that elderly northto-south migrants generally point out climate as the main factor behind the choice of destination (e.g. Meyer, 1987;Bohland and Rowles, 1988;López de Lera, 1995;King et al, 1998;King and Patterson, 1998;Rodríguez et al, 1998;Warnes and Patterson, 1998;Williams and Patterson, 1998). Hence, when it comes to country of destination, there is reason to believe that retirement return migration differs from return migration by those still active on the labour market.…”

“…According to a study on Bosnian, Chilean, and Somali refugees in Sweden, nostalgia and emotional ties to the country of origin seem to be more important among the elderly compared with those of working ages, and the wish to return also appears stronger among the elderly (Olsson, 2001). However, the study also reports that a majority of the elderly refugees prefer to settle in the host country, primarily as a consequence of welfare considerations, with family ties, medical care, social services, and decent housing playing important roles.…”

Elderly Migration and Development in Small Communities

“…R snowbelt-to-sunbelt perspectives on elderly migration flows and acknowledgement of the importance of regional destinations serving more localized catchment areas (Bohland and Rowles 1988;Cuba and Longino 1991;Meyer 1987). As the significance of this phenomenon has become apparent, there has been increasing concern with the economic, social, and political implications of elderly migration for local communities (Haas and Serow 1990;Hodge 1991;Longino 1988;Longino and Crown 1990;Sastry 1992).…”

Residential mobility and aging population in Hong Kong

“…He argues that the older persons' well-being is said to be in ''a state of balance'' given that their needs, with respect to the demands stemming from the surrounding environment, are met (or satisfied). However, as place's usefulness for them could be affected by characteristic changes over time (Meyer, 1987), dissatisfaction and stress with their residential situation are to be induced, owed to housing and neighbourhood discrepancies, as well as personal characteristics and weak social bonds (Brown & Moore, 1970;Fokkema, De Jong Gierveld, & Nijkamp, 1993;Varady, 1980).…”

“…Specifically, numerous mobility studies concentrate on both the social and physical factors that make a potential host or destination community attractive and a potential ''donor'' community less desirable (Cuba & Longino, 1991;Meyer, 1987;Rogers, 1990;Serow, 1987;Wiseman, 1980). Meanwhile, some others focus on the contributions of both individual characteristics and contextual factors (Schiamberg, Junk, & Goldfarb, 1991;Wiseman, 1980), such as personal characteristics and resources; community/neighborhood characteristics and housing characteristics; and social factors and support networks, such as family and friends.…”